On Monday, Nov. 2, Alan Hill, vice president of student academic affairs, and several administrative members met with remote and on-campus students in two seperate meetings to answer questions about the spring semester.
1,150 total students will be allowed to live in university-owned housing for the spring semester. However, nobody knows what spring will bring in regards to COVID-19, according to Sarah Steinkamp, Chief of Staff for President White.
Students will also have the option to request to be a commuter or remote. However, these situations will be evaluated on a case by case basis instead of the university relaxing their residential policy as they did during the fall term. “Students who don’t feel comfortable, don’t feel safe, are able to ask to be remote and will be granted it,” Steinkamp said.
As mentioned over the summer by President Lori White, juniors and seniors will still be prioritized to live on campus during the spring semester. The housing staff is aiming to ensure upperclassmen are placed in the normal upperclassmen housing options.
Housing assignments are anticipated to be sent out during the second week of December according to Julia Proctor, chair of COVID-19 Task Force and assistant dean of campus life, and they will have a week to decide if they want to accept the housing contract.
The university is also aiming to place all students in singles. “Students can pick groups to live on the same floor or same rector building, house, apartment, etc., but not in the same room as roommates,” Proctor said.
International students will be prioritized as wellto return for the spring semester. According to Steinkamp, the first planned move-in dates are Jan. 26-28 for those students who need to fly back into the U.S. for testing and quarantine purposes.
In December, faculty will vote on whether or not students will have the same pass/fail options in the spring as they had this semester. Currently, students are allowed to opt for all of their classes as pass/fail.
There will be more information sessions as plans develop. According to Hill, “ No final plans for spring are in place...bear with us as we work through this together.”